What Wine Are You Pouring for Mother's Day Brunch?

Wine pairing aside, can you think of a better excuse for daytime drinking than Mother's Day brunch?

And joking aside, can you think of a more challenging occasion for wine pairing than Mother's Day brunch?

A classic Mother's Day meal at our house may consist of myriad flavors and aromas: Smoked fish (white fish and salmon), fruit salads, tangy Mediterranean and Russian salads (mushroom caviar, anyone?), hard-scrambled eggs (the way my wife and mother to our five-month-old likes them), spicy bacon quesadillas and black beans (for me and my father-in-law), and don't forget Memaw's famous deviled eggs, my mother-in-law's Chex mix, the barbecue that Uncle Terry picked up on his way into town and Aunt Gladys's banana pudding! And the list goes on...

And because it's Mother's Day and you're probably going to be opening some wines in the morning, you need wines with low, low alcohol.

German and Northwest American Riesling is a good place to start. Entry-level wines from the wine-growing regions can weigh in at below 8 percent alcohol and their bright, bright acidity is balanced by their residual sugar.

Moscato d'Asti is another favorite at our house. Usually around 7 percent, these low-alcohol, gentle sparklers from northwestern Italy have a delicate, light sweetness. There are so many available in the Houston market these days, but at our house we love Tintero's Moscato d'Asti and his sparkling but dry Grangia (both available at Spec's).

But because it's Mom's special day, you also want to show her you love her with something that evokes elegance and refinement as it keeps the alcohol content in check. It also should have the versatility required by the bill of fare.

The answer to this riddle? Champagne-method rosé, my number-one choice for Mother's Day brunch.

Now, if you want to splurge, no mother is going to turn down a glass of Bollinger Rosé Champagne Special Cuvée (around $90 at Spec's).

But mom will certainly also feel special with a delicious bottle of Laetitia Sparkling Rosé (for under $30, also available at Spec's) or my personal favorite Mother's Day wine and my top recommendation, the Domaine Carneros Sparkling Rosé, produced by the Taittinger house of Champagne in coastal growing areas in northern California (under $40 at Richard's).

The Domaine Carneros -- whether the brut (white) or rosé -- is always one of the cleanest, freshest and most focused sparklers to come out of California and I love it... and so does my mom...